Raiders of the Lost Gold

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History Documentary hosted by Clive Bull, published by PBS in 2011 - English narration

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Raiders of the Lost Gold It might be the greatest haul of treasure ever accumulated in one place – but does it exist? This documentary examines the legend of Yamashita's Gold. Japanese imperial expansion across South East Asia during the 1930s and early 1940s saw an orgy of systematic looting across a dozen countries. Banks, government treasuries, temples and monasteries were all targeted and stripped bare. The spoils were intended to be shipped back to Japan, but this was effectively rendered impossible after 1942 as American naval superiority came to dominate the Pacific. According to legend, a huge proportion of the loot was hidden in the Philippines, using Filipino slave labour and Allied prisoners-of-war to dig tunnels to hide the spoils. Consisting of gemstones, platinum, priceless artefacts and at least 6,000 tonnes of gold, the value of the treasure is estimated at over 100 billion dollars. The architect of the scheme was the famous Japanese General Tomyuki Yamashita. Some claim that the treasure – or at least part of it – has been found, passing into the coffers of former Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos. How much of the story is true may never be known, for the one man who knew the secret took it to the grave with him. Tomyuki Yamashita was tried as a war criminal and executed in 1946.